Looking for 2 battery bank electrical system schematic

[RiverQueen]

Greetings everyone.
This is my first post here.

I just bought a 40' 1971 steel hulled RiverQueen river boat (most people would call it a house boat) powered by 2x Slant 6 cylinder Chrysler Super Crown 150 engines w Dana out drives.

I am completely gutting the intereior and removing 100% of the electrical system. all wires/ batteries/ fuses etc. and starting fresh.

I am looking for assistance/resources/diagrams with configuring my 2 battery bank electrical system.

I have just completed refitting and cruising two* 44' good old sailboats on a 3,000+ mile cruise starting in Baja down Pacific Mexico+ central America thru the Panama canal west-east and around the Caribean.
So I have down many of the basic concepts, but have never built a whole system from scratch.
*(boat #1 got hit by lightening on a mooring in El Salvador - caught fire, burned to the waterline and sunk...)

Thanks for any assistance.
Parker N

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
Welcome aboard. I would recommend Nigel Calder's book:


https://www.amazon.com/Boatowners-M...=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=B0147TM944

 

[DavidM]

Nigel Calder's book is a good resource and has recommended wiring diagrams.

I hope you don't mean two separate house battery banks, but you mean one starting bank and one house bank. Splitting the house bank means that you have to keep each one above 50% for best life and make sure you recharge both fully every few days. It is much easier to do that with a single house bank.

Also for a brand new installation don't use a 1,2,all switch. Wire the start and house banks through on/off switches to their repective loads and put in a heavy wire and on/off switch to combine them in case of running down your start bank. Also combine them automatically for charging with a combiner or ACR.

Place the two switches outside of the engine room if possible or easily accessible in case of a fire.

Not sure if Calder does this, but I think it is the best way- simple and requires no routine switching.

David